The Last Ones Left

Chapter Seven

"Don't think I'm helping you," K says, walking at a much faster pace than I am. "If it weren't for Ann here, then you'd be dead."

"Well, thanks," I say sarcastically, but K takes it literally.

"You're welcome. Not too many people here would save you, but I've got more than half a mind. There ain't many babies left. You find one, you gotta make sure it lives."

"How- how many people are in your group?" I ask. I hope a lot. I pray that it's a lot.

"About thirty. Mostly men, mostly soldiers. Not many civilians. Me and T, we th' only girl soldiers."

"Who's T?"

"Trisha. Again, call her that and you die."

We walk for a few more yards, and I start to breathe really heavily. I'm really out of shape, and we've already been walking for a good hour or so.

"How much longer?" I gasp.

K looks at me. "You'd think someone able to survive in this wasteland would be able to walk this long. How are you not dead in some ditch by now?'

I think it over, then decide not to tell her the truth-- not yet. She may not have killed me, but that doesn't make her trustworthy. "I've got a group. They look out for me."

Bad choice of words. "A group? Who's in this group?" K turns to me, hand on her knife.

I hold up my hands in a gesture of innocence. "My- my sister and my brother. They left to go look for other survivors. We've been alone, almost all our lives."

She lowers her hand, saying, "Well, they cain't join us."

"Why not?" I'm outraged. My siblings took care of me all those years; no way I'm leaving them behind, especially so soon.

"We ain't very trustworthy."

"But aren't you short on people? They took care of me for hundreds of years! They could be doctors, or soldiers, or--"

"What did you just say?" K stares at me, head cocked to one side like a curious dog.

"They took care of me. They could have literally any job in the world, and do a fine job at it!"

"Not that." K squints at me. "The 'hundreds of years' part."

I stare at her a few seconds, trying to sputter error out words-any words- but my mouth is completely numb, completely useless.

"Uh-ah-that's-um," is all I can manage to say, but K cuts me off.

"Don't you tell me you're one of 'em." She spits out the last word like a peice of spoiled food- not that people nowadays can be picky about what they eat.

"What do you mean?" I'm completely terrified. Neither of us are walking, just staring at each other. K steps closer, and there's hardly an inch between our faces.

"Some dumb people have been spreading rumors about the 'people who could never die' with colored eyes and magic powers." She snorts.

What? Can she not see my eyes are purple? I decide to play along; if she knows who I am, she might try to kill me and will end up hurting the baby.

"That's crazy. People will believe anything if it means 'salvation'."

"Tell me about it." We trek on for about fifteen minutes, then K stops. "Close your eyes," she demands.

My brow furrows. "Why?"

"We can't let anyone know where we are until we're sure they're sane."

I look around-- only a barren, empty landscape greets me. Maybe she's the one who's not sane.

Nevertheless, I let her wrap a blindfold around my head. I feel her callused hands try to take the little girl or of my hands. I hold her closer to my chest.

"Relax. I'm gonna spin you around, and I don't want ya to drop the baby."

I slowly, reluctantly hand over the child. K spins the around, and afterwards I stumble about, blind and disoriented.

K puts a hand on my shoulder and leads me forward. We walk like this for a few minutes, then a child blast hits my face. K puts the baby back in my hands, and removes my blindfold. I can say nothing, only have a sharp intake of breath.

"This is unbelievable!" I say, soaking in the marvelous sight of the city before me.

Buildings-- four feet tall, and none of them on fire, none of them piles of rubble. People walk back and forth between them, as if this were no big deal, just everyday things. As my mouth opens in surprise, a sudden burn appears in my mind, and I'm sucked into another time, into a moment just like this.

There is a hand on my back, a strong hand-- my father's. He looks down at me, smiling, the corner of his eyes crinkling as he does. Just like my brother's smile.

I can't help but smile, too, staring at the bustling town, always moving, always growing. It's a wonderful sight.

"Soon, this will all be yours, my sweet," he says, looking at the city. "You'll be an excellent ruler."

"Of course, Papa." I smile back up at him, and he takes my hand.

The image burns away, replaced by a new migraine, a new image. It's the same city, but it's on fire, and instead of the distant sound of children laughing and young people courting, there is only the sound of terrified screaming, and the smell of rotten death in the air. 

"You can't always be the hero of everything," a voice says into my ear. I know that voice. I know who it is but the identity is just out of reach.

"You didn't have to start a war!" The words are out of my mouth, but I sound different. Younger. More naive.

The figure shakes its head. I can't really see it, but I can tell what it's doing. "You don't understand."

"You're right. I don't."

"Just--"

Suddenly, there's nothing but screaming, both the figure and mine. A horrible pain blossoms through my chest, and I'm gasping for air, gasping for life.

I'm sucked back into reality, and K is staring at me, brow furrowed. "What're ya screamin' aboot? I thought this'd be a pleasant sa'prise."

"It- uh--" I clear my throat, trying to shake the sore feeling. "It is. It's beautiful."

K looks doubtful, but doesn't say anything. "Okay. Well. I dun't scream when I'm surprised, but I wun't judge, eitha.  Come on, let's take ya test."

"What test?"

"Ta decide if ya can stay here. We aren't exactly open ta newcomers."

"Why are you so wary of new people if you're so desperate to keep your populations up?" I bite on my long nails.

"Not everyone ya think is trustworthy can be trusted. Now, come on, if ya wanna stay."

She strides to a tall building in the middle of the down, and I jog to keep up with her, trying not to shake Ann too much.